Share this article

Spectacular images of a rare lunar event dubbed called the "super blue blood Moon", which has dazzled skygazers around the world, were captured from the far northern Norwegian archipelago Svalbard on Wednesday.

The phenomenon occurs when a total lunar eclipse, a blood Moon and a supermoon coincide.

Photo: Heiko Junge / NTB scanpix

A blue moon occurs when a full moon falls twice in the same calendar month, and a supermoon is seen when the moon is closest to the earth.

Photo: Heiko Junge / NTB scanpix

On January 31st, the event occurred in the Western hemisphere for the first time since 1866.

Stunning images of the blood moon, which gets its red colour from sunlight being refracted and filtered by the earth's atmosphere on its way to the moon, were taken by Norwegian photographers on Svalbard.

Photo: Heiko Junge / NTB scanpix

The Arctic archipelago is about halfway between mainland Norway and the North Pole.